17 July 2009

Combined armed forces Round the World sailing expedition sets off with Raymarine products on board

International marine electronics manufacturer Raymarine has announced it is supporting the British Services Exercise Transglobe 2009-2010.  The tri-services round the World expedition comprises three 20 m (67 feet) yachts, each crewed by members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.  The expedition has fully equipped its three yachts – Adventure, Discoverer and Challenger – with an integrated suite of Raymarine products including radar, chartplotter and instruments. 

The 13-stage expedition departed from Gosport on Saturday 11 July, and has crew changes in destination ports around the world including Lanzarote, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Perth, Sydney, Hobart, Auckland, Montevideo, Antigua, Charleston and Boston.  Over 500 crew will participate in the 12-month expedition, which is designed to develop their personal qualities and team skills in an extremely challenging environment. 

As well as battling against the elements, the expedition is encouraging a spirit of “Corinthian competition” between the Services on several of the legs.  All three boats will also compete against some of the best sailors in the world in two high profile events – the Sydney to Hobart race, and Antigua Race Week.  

During the expedition, the crew will include service personnel recently returned from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As part of an initiative called Battle Back, this will also include service personnel recovering from wounds received in recent military operations and some medical support staff, all from Headley Court and the Help for Heroes initiative.  

Fiona Pankhurst, Head of Corporate Marketing and PR at Raymarine, “We are delighted to be involved with this expedition, and to have our products sailed and raced around the world.  With such a large number of crew change overs during the race, it is vital that the navigation products they are using are tough, durable and easy to use, especially for those with little knowledge of sailing.  And with the added element of racing against each other and in international events, they are going to be relying on getting the best data for planning routes, knowing the wind and tides, and maximising their chances of winning.”

Each boat is equipped with an integrated navigation suite comprising Raymarine instrumentation, and two E120 multifunction displays, with chart plotting and radar capabilities.  The system repeats all data below deck, enabling the navigator or crew to see vital information at all times. 

With its global customer base and network of distributors, Raymarine will be closely involved with Exercise Transglobe as it circumnavigates the world.

You are here: Combined armed forces Round the World sailing expedition sets off with Raymarine products on board